Ride a bike, eat a donut, and have fun

2017 has not been a great year for biking in Baltimore. Our task is trying to make biking safe and accessible at a time when our city is challenged to deliver on services both large and small. So what do we do during this time? One of the most important things we can actively be doing is to continue to build up our community. Spending time doing things that bring us joy can sustain us through these periods The people who bike in Baltimore are full of love and support for one another. We see beauty in a city where many see none, simply because we are moving at a pace slow enough to absorb it. We have a responsibility to nurture that community when opportunities arise. Our perspective, that comes from seeing this city up close can be a catalyst for positive change.

This Saturday, for the second year in a row, we are gathering at Wyman Park Dell to celebrate arguably the best thing to happen to people who bike in a really long time — the Maryland Avenue Cycle Track. Last year we had hundreds join us on a crisp sunny Saturday morning for coffee and donuts and take off on a short simple ride to Mt. Vernon Market Place for lunch and hanging out. It was during that ride that we realized just how many families bike with small children in Baltimore, because we finally held an event that was perfectly sized and timed for them. People wore silly costumes, decorated their bikes with streamers, and remembered why we work so hard to get things like this built in every neighborhood. They are a game changer in terms of activating streets, connecting people to one another, and to the city that we love.

Bike riding brings us a lot of joy. Let’s take a few hours on Saturday morning to reconnect with that joy and make sure we take time to celebrate how far our community has come so we can feel ready to handle the challenges that lie ahead. Come ride a bike, eat a donut, and demonstrate just how many of us there are that are ready to #fightforbikes. Our city and its people deserve so many things — safety, health, security. Biking, and the health and joy it brings, is something that is completely within our reach to share and experience with others. Looking forward to all the cheers, yips, and high fives on Saturday morning. Thanks for showing up.

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Maryland Ave. Cycle Track's 1st Birthday Party
Saturday, November 4, 2017

10am | Meet at Wyman Park Dell for coffee, birthday donuts, and meeting others who love to bike.

11am | BIKE PARADE leaves Wyman Park Dell heading south on the Maryland Avenue. This is a slow, fun, silly ride. All are welcome to ride with us! 

until 2pm | Lunch + Drinks at Mt. Vernon Market Place. Pay as you go. Taste of the Marketplace - $5 specials throughout the Market will be going on, so there will be $5 specials at (almost) every stall at the Mount Vernon Marketplace! 

> All the details, RSVP and invite your friends! 

Bike to Market Tip #2: Riding to Druid Hill Park

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Our second Bike to Market Day is on Wednesday! And there's tons going on at Druid Hill Park that evening — including live music, guided bike rides, yoga and a movie — so grab your bike lights, your basket and make a night out of it! 

Bike to Market Day at Druid Hill Farmers Market
Wednesday, June 21

3:30pm to 7:30pm
Druid Hill Park
3100 Swann Drive, Baltimore (next to the Conservatory) 

Bike to Market is a partnership with the Maryland Farmer's Market Association, encouraging you to ride to a variety of markets, and mixing two important aspects of a thriving sustainable city: sustainable transportation and local fresh food. 

At the market we'll provide free bike valet so you can safely and easily leave your bike while you shop, and have giveaways and a raffle for anyone who rides! We'll also be there to answer your questions, and talk all thinking biking in Baltimore! 

RSVP and invite your friends!

How do I get to Druid Hill Park?

There are a number of wide, fast roads surrounding the park (we're working on improving this — check out our Big Jump project!), so it's important to plan your route. Here are a few of our favorite ways to get there from various directions. 

Stick around and enjoy Druid Hill Park!

There are tons of fun things happening at Druid Hill Park that night, so stick around! 

Guided Bike Rides at the Druid Hill Farmers Market
Join Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Outdoor Recreation for guided, 7 mile, mostly flat bike ride around Druid Hill Park. Rides are at 5:15pm and 7:15pm and bikes are provided. $10 suggested donation. Registration is recommended BCRP.Bikes@baltimorecity.gov for more info. 

Free Yoga at the Market
Join the Baltimore Yoga Village and the Friends of Druid Hill Park for free yoga from 5:30pm-6:30pm! All levels welcome. Bring your own mat or blanket.

Movies at the Market featuring Hidden Figures
Bring your chairs and blankets to watch Hidden Figures, the incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson - brilliant African-American women working at NASA. Movies begins at Dusk.

See a full list of market happenings here. 

Tips for Riding at Night

And if you do stick around, make sure you're ready to ride home in the dark. While good street lighting and bike infrastructure is important for safely riding a night, here are a few tips to help you be more seen and feel more comfortable:

• Try to pick routes that are well lit and likely to be more populated.

• Be extra cautious in looking out for potholes and debris in the road — they're even more difficult to see at night.

• Be sure to have bright lights. A white light on the front and a red light for the back, like a car has, makes it easier for people to understand which direction you're headed.

A Recap of Our Annual Members Meeting

Each year Bikemore hosts our annual member meeting. This is our version of an annual report. Instead of spending resources designing and printing something, we ask everyone to come hang out, drink a beer, and ask questions in person. We discuss our organization’s success, challenges, and where we stand financially. This year we thanked members by providing a drink ticket and a hot off the presses edition of our Illustrated Guide to Biking in Baltimore.

On Tuesday over 100 folks gathered to hear about our year in review. The past twelve months have been an incredible year for bikes and Bikemore! The City of Baltimore finally began construction on the Downtown Bicycle Network, including the long awaited Maryland Avenue Cycletrack. Last fall the city also launched bike share. Biking in Baltimore now looks and feels incredibly different.

Bikemore also grew significantly. We added two new staff, Danielle Parnes and Jed Weeks, growing our organization from one full time staff to three. We added new programs like the Mobile Bike Shop and Bike to Market that encourage people to incorporate biking into their everyday lives. We also advocated for the passage of the Separated Bike Lane Network, ensuring that future investments in protected bike infrastructure are equitably distributed throughout the city.

We celebrated our volunteer of the year, Alex Gebhart for his leadership and commitment as our volunteer bike mechanic at our Mobile Bike Shop. His leadership and skills have helped take the program to new heights, and we are so lucky to have him serving a second year alongside our youth employee Dominique Thorne.

One of the highlights of the evening was pointing out how critical our individual members have been in our success. This year we planned to raise around $40K in individual donations. We have surpassed that and have raised nearly $60K in individual donations, with an average gift size of $100. That accounts for 25% of our overall operating budget, and has paid for 40% of our operating expenses to date. We literally couldn’t have done it without you!

When it comes to larger grants, we are so grateful for the support from key local foundations like Goldseker and Clayton Baker Trust, whose donations have allowed us to add staff, fight on more policy fronts, and serve more neighborhoods.

What our financial picture tells us is that on the expense side we are tracking right on budget. Our spending is also not out pacing our revenue. On the revenue side, we are currently not on track to meet our revenue goals. We need to raise an additional $55K by July first to finish in the black, or $77K to meet our revenue goals with cash reserves. While we have a plan in place to get there, we cannot do it without your support. If you haven’t considered supporting our work with a personal donation before, but feel our advocacy has been of benefit to you, we ask you to consider making a gift today to ensure our organization remains fiscally strong to be able to continue to build a force for biking in Baltimore.

Click through the slides to learn more:

Ready to take action?

Your Guide to Bike Month in Baltimore!

Bike Month is celebrated in cities across the country and, simply put, it's a whole month dedicated to the tons of reasons we love to bike! From joining a group ride, to learning about Bikemore's advocacy work, or trying out biking to work — May is the month to join in! Check out the full calendar of Bike Month events here. 

Can't decide which event(s!) to attend?

Thanks to our thriving biking community, there are more than 35+ events happening — that means something is happening almost every single day of May! And we know, with so many choices it's hard to decide, so we thought we'd help you out: 

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Which events is Bikemore hosting?

Some of the events during Bike Month are organized by us here at Bikemore, and lots more are organized by volunteers and members of our community. Here are the ones we're hosting — they're all great opportunities to meet and chat with Bikemore staff and learn about how you can get involved in making Baltimore a more bikeable city.

Bike to Market Day at JFX Farmers Market
Sunday, May 7, 2017 | 7am - 12pm | JFX Farmers Market
We'll have a free bike valet, raffle, and giveaways for anyone who gets to the market by bike!

Bikemore Annual Members Meeting
Tuesday, May 9, 2017 | 7pm – 9pm | R. House
Join us to review our accomplishments from the past year, get a preview of what's to come, and share with us what you care about most.

Cyclofemme Ride
Sunday, May 14 | 11am – 2:30pm
Join the women of Bikemore for a social ride celebrating all that is great about being a woman who rides in Baltimore, as CycloFemme rides happen concurrently in cities around the world. 

Bike to Work Day: Bikemore Maryland Ave. Stop
Friday, May 19th | 7am – 9am | Bikemore
Stop by on your morning commute for free coffee, bike safety checks, and a chance to talk about the future of bicycling in Baltimore with Bikemore’s staff.

Bikemore + North Barclay Green Community Ride
Thursday, May 25 | 6pm - 8pm | North Barclay Green Community Center
Join Bikemore and North Barclay Green Community Center for a social ride and celebration! Kids and adults welcome as this is a social, no-drop ride.
 

Why donate to Bikemore during Bike Month?

Just by looking at the calendar, you can tell that here at Bikemore, we do a whole lot with just a little! Throughout the month we'll be highlighting programs we run and projects we've worked on to give you an inside look at Bikemore's work. We'll share what we've accomplished with the resources we have, and how much more we can achieve with your support. 

Plus, we consider a member anyone who has donated to Bikemore in the past year — and all members will receive a free beer ticket at our Annual Member's Meeting! 

→ Be sure to check the full calendar for the 35+ bike events going on throughout May! And don't forget to tag us in your photos from #bikemonth events on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

Fact Check: The Greenway Trails Network Plan Is Awesome, Support It.

Bikemore is part of the Baltimore Greenway Trails Coalition, funded by a Plan4Health grant from the American Planning Association and the Centers for Disease Control. Over the past year, our partner and lead on the project, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, has hosted over a dozen meetings with residents and stakeholders adjacent to the Gwynns Falls Parkway and 33rd Street corridor. At these meetings they discussed using these two streets to connect the Gwynns Falls Trail, Jones Falls Trail, and Herring Run Trail into an eventual 35 mile trail loop in Baltimore City where people can walk or bike safely in a dedicated space separated from mixed traffic.

One of the options proposed for 33rd Street and Gwynns Falls Parkway is a two-way, on street protected bike lane.

The other is a center-running, multi-use community path. The advantage of this option is that it could be used both by people walking and biking, as well as neighbors who just want to recreate outside their homes.

This isn't a new idea. The coalition is building on and supporting existing initiatives, including Parks & People’s One Park Concept, Baltimore City’s Growing Green Initiative, the updated Baltimore City Bicycle Master Plan, the Open Space and Parks Task Force, and a revitalized master plan for the Middle Branch. Going back further, it works to bring the original Olmsted vision for Baltimore's "Parkways" to life.

A Brief History of Olmsted Parkways

The revised Olmsted vision in The Baltimore Sun, July 26, 1914

The Olmsted Brothers Company is responsible for the design of both 33rd Street and Gwynns Falls Parkway, among other parkways and boulevards in Baltimore City. The original intent and goal of these "Parkways" was to bring "Parking" (of the green—not car—variety) into communities, and connect Baltimore's entire park system via linear parks containing designated spaces for people to enjoy the park system by foot, car, bicycle, horse, or carriage.

Rapid city growth led to push back around the size of the right of way required to implement this plan. The result was the series of narrower boulevards present in our city today. Automobile based planning decisions in Baltimore, since these boulevards' construction, have turned them into high-speed automobile corridors, far from the original intent. Luckily, we can look back at the Olmsted vision for Baltimore, as well as to more successful implementations in other cities to see how we could better reprogram this space to match the true Olmsted intent.

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The Olmsted designed Lincoln Parkway in Buffalo was planned with a multi-use, protected trail for people walking, biking, or riding.

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Lincoln Parkway in Buffalo today looks much like 33rd Street, albeit with wider medians. While beautiful, it is rarely used by people.

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The Olmsted Designed Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn in the 1930's with a multi-use median path for people walking and biking.

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Today, Eastern Parkway retains the multi-use median path for people walking, biking, playing chess, or sitting on benches.

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The Olmsted designed Brooklyn Ocean Parkway's multi-use path was split to include a "bicycle highway" in the 1890's.

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Brooklyn's Ocean Parkway retains bicycle and walking paths today.

Project FAQ /Fact Check

While this is an exciting project that will serve all of Baltimore, and which has the potential to address a number of health, access, transportation equity, historic preservation, and quality of life issues for the whole city - some residents have expressed concerns about potential changes to the public space. A few others have spread false information about the project. 

This is just one piece of a 35 mile trail vision. If this one stretch fails to materialize like the rest of the trail, the economic, public health, and transportation benefits of the entire trail system are in jeopardy.

We address some of the concerns here:

Some neighbors say this will remove green space

The proposed multi-use path, one option being explored on the corridor, will enhance green space. Currently, the medians serve as a green barrier to high speed automobile traffic. Activating this space with a multi-use path is one step in reclaiming the street for all road users.

The proposed median path would actually add active green space by lengthening medians and closing some of the "u-turn" locations between the existing medians to reduce high speed car traffic cutting through neighborhoods.

In addition to the median path, additional trees, shrubs, and rain gardens would be implemented to control and treat stormwater. Currently, the median has soil that is severely compacted and does not effectively treat storm water. 

But some neighbors said you'll pave the median and kill all the trees

While a paved surface is the most ADA compliant and accessible surface, no decisions have been made about trail materials. There are many options. A "floating trail" can rest on the current median surface, and there are many other permeable paver solutions. The Indianapolis Cultural Trail is an example of a "floating trail" surface that is permeable and does not disturb existing plantings. A soft surface trail also allows water infiltration without tree root damage. 

The next round of study for this project will include specific planning and specifications for tree care as well as trail surface. There are many examples across the country of trail and path construction coinciding with tree care and maintenance. 

This would be dangerous for everyone

The current design of these roadways is dangerous for everyone. The floating unprotected bike lanes are substandard, the sidewalks have too many street crossings, and the wide travel lane allows cars to drive too fast. 

The proposed redesign would be engineered to the highest safety standards to protect trail users, residents, and people driving along the corridor. All crossings would prioritize the safety of trail users. Traffic calming would be a significant part of the design of the entire corridor. 

This plan isn't historic or destroys the Olmsted Vision

See the above background on the Olmsted vision for these parkways. This plan introduces many elements of the historic Olmsted vision, and will ultimately achieve the Olmsted goal of connecting Baltimore City's major parks via parkways that can be safely enjoyed by city residents by foot, car, horse, or bike.

So, what can I do if I support this plan?

#FillTheRoom for the next
33rd Street Open House

April 25th | 6:00 - 7:30pm
29th Street Community Center

RSVP and invite your friends and neighbors here!